How it all started

Not even in my wildest dreams did I imagine being in the tourism industry, or even starting a company that had traveling as its core. I was a bachelor’s and master’s in Political Science, and I worked in the Public and Governmental sectors early on in my career. I always enjoyed traveling but I never thought it would become my future. But everything was about to change in 2009 when the seeds of passion and innovation first spread in one of the world’s most magical cities, Barcelona.

I had the opportunity to visit Barcelona in November 2009 with my husband, while I was pregnant with my first daughter, Matilde. We were celebrating my husband’s birthday, and we decided the best way to do so was by fully discovering the city. Barcelona is electric. Its energy rests in the creative winds that move through flamboyant buildings and the Duende found in the flamenco dancers. Everything here moves. But perhaps, on this occasion, the thing that stuck out the most to me was the chance to tour the city in a double-decker Hop-on Hop-off bus. It was fun, easy, and informative—an ideal way to explore the city. The commentary was spot-on, and we got to enjoy the best sights from the top of this vibrant bus. I clearly remember switching languages to hear how the narrative changed, my eyes filling with wonder as I realized how amazing this product was.

My husband turned to me. Then, the question that would determine our futures came: “Why don’t we have this type of service in Cartagena or Miami?” 

This question played in our minds as we continued our journey through the Med aboard Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of The Seas. Without knowing it we were then embarking on what would be the next piece of the puzzle: cruise lines. Our key client and the industry we work in. It’s funny how things work out, right? 

Back in Colombia, after this wonderful trip, we started our plan. We had to become Hop-on Hop-Off experts. Where were those buses headquartered? Could we get a franchise? Where could we even build the buses? And like that, our whole business began. We had to build everything from the ground up. No regulations, nothing to follow. 

It started with endless meetings with city authorities just to explain the concept. I often say that starting a Hop-on Hop-off service in a new city is difficult because these buses become so iconic they quickly turn into city projects. Imagine driving through a city and spotting a colorful double-decker bus—it sparks city-wide conversations. 

After hours of effort and work in Colombia and Miami, we were able to launch our Hop-on Hop-off in 2011 in Cartagena, Colombia and a couple of years later, in Miami.

In this initial period we faced a lot of challenges and hiccups. Regulations changed, the partner we were working with in Miami decided to open their own Hop-on Hop-Off venture, and the buses we had acquired ended up being in poor condition.

There’s a way I like to describe the situation we were going through. Imagine this. Three new burger places just opened, McDonald’s, Burger King, and ours… Paquito’s (the no-ones). We didn’t have the resources the others did, but we needed this to work. We had no other option. As the old saying goes “Necessity is the mother of invention”. Our creativity and entrepreneurial spirit drove everything, and that’s how we built this company from the ground up.

In the end, we managed to solve these problems. It took us a couple of years to rise to the top and take over 50% of the city market.

By 2015, we were offering Hop-on Hop-off tours to all the major cruise lines in the Miami and Florida area, mainly debark tours. I loved greeting our guests every Thursday and Friday at the port. There are so many stories from that time—perhaps I’ll share them one day. From being a tour guide to handling luggage and everything in between, starting a company means taking on many roles. It was hectic, but fun.

In 2016, we decided to go all-in on the cruise industry. With the Hop-on Hop-off service in place, we shifted focus and took a global approach. We grew from two locations to eight and expanded our offerings beyond just the HoHo, building a diversified portfolio. It was a big leap, but we were ready for it. Now almost ten years later from our expansion, we are in +140 destinations. What a ride.

Our story is the perfect example of a phrase I came across recently: success isn’t a straight line; it’s more like a roller coaster, with its ups, downs, and occasional steady stretches.

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed telling you about it. Stay tuned for more.